Turn festive moments into lasting memories

Rosie Shennan is a private chef and food stylist who lives in a centuries-old cottage near Bath with her husband and dog, Basil. A graduate of Oxford and Leith’s School of Food and Wine, she brings a thoughtful, creative approach to food, storytelling and festive traditions.

Last Christmas was our first celebration in our cottage. This Christmas will be our first with our dog, Basil – and next year, we will have a little baby boy with us, too. As my experiences of Christmas have changed over the years, and look set to continue to do so, it’s left me thinking hard about what it is that makes this time of year so special. The answer, I’ve concluded, is togetherness and traditions. Meaningful moments we’ve created and shared every year together, and the memories that they evoke. 

When I was little, I was the one begging my parents to buy Christmas patterned loo roll. I revelled in every single special memory – and we made it a really magical experience. From reading books by the fire with a mug of hot chocolate the night before to stockings and the annual Christmas Day walk, it’s the memories of these rituals and traditions that have stuck with me. 

It can be so hard to slow down and be present at Christmastime in today’s busy world. I’ve certainly struggled with the blur of work and home, trying to get everything done and see everyone at such a busy time of year. But it’s even more important than ever to make memories with family, friends, strangers – and make Christmas a time of specialness and being together.

Morning moments: stockings, pjs and the dog’s breakfast

There’s nothing more magical than Christmas morning. Creeping downstairs to the sitting room, lit by the tree lights, gathering with a cuppa and seeing in the morning together. Christmas pyjamas are such a great addition to this homey setup, and make for fun photos right from the start of the day. 

A festive breakfast with something special is the best way to start the day off right. It’s never too early for champagne, but even a simple basket of pastries (the frozen ones you can cook from home are great for this) will make all the difference. Having breakfast all together, whatever that looks like for you, marks this morning as a special one – there’s no grabbing a slice of toast on the way out the door on Christmas Day! Sit down, pause and enjoy the quiet as the world wakes up to their festive morning. 

Don’t forget your pets – they deserve a festive breakfast, too. Perhaps a new bone or a special treat, and if you have children, get them involved in this part. They’ll remember feeding the dog his Christmas breakfast for years to come. 

Stockings are a huge deal in our house, and you can absolutely bet I’m getting my dog one this year. Every stocking present has a different message on it, “From the elves” or “From the reindeer”, with special Christmassy tissue paper. At the bottom, always a pound coin and a clementine. Who knows why? It’s these little traditions that have been passed down generation to generation that I remember so clearly, and will absolutely be continuing in the years to come.

The feast: preparation, the table and washing up

My favourite part of the day is cooking together. Bonding over the menu, deciding which dishes make the cut this year and then bringing them to life on the day. There’s nothing more wholesome than a morning spent peeling spuds and trimming sprouts with your nearest and dearest. 

Christmas food traditions are a favourite part of the day for most people. The time and effort that goes into the feast and the dishes themselves remind us so vividly of Christmases before and the coming together to enjoy them all around the table. 

Preparing food together is integral. There shouldn’t be one person slaving away in the kitchen while everyone else gets stuck into the bubbly – get everyone involved and divvy up the task list. A Christmas dinner is a big undertaking and only worth it if everyone pitches in, plus with some festive tunes on and a glass of something merry in hand, these are the moments you won’t forget.

The key to the feast is just that: a feast. This isn’t any meal. Make the table special, make the dishes feel abundant. Get out the special cups and a tablecloth – it will all be worth it. 

Homemade crackers add a lovely layer of personality to the meal and are often much less expensive. We used to each have one cracker to make for someone else and that way we all contributed. Write and source your own terrible jokes, and keep the good ones on your bulletin board for the weeks to come. Finish the meal with a spectacular dessert. It doesn’t have to be a Christmas pudding – in our family, we’d do a chocolate roulade, and each year we would add a decoration to the box: little plastic robins, reindeer, holly leaves and lots of edible glitter. 

My in-laws are brilliant at getting a group photo whatever the occasion, and even though in the moment I’m flustered and my hair’s a mess, we always look back on them so fondly. So, make sure once that table is set and the feast is served to grab a quick snap or two. Finally, with tummies full and heads merry, get everyone involved in the clean up. Washing up can be almost fun when everyone gets involved, and it’s another opportunity to spend time together.

Afternoon and evening: digesting, the walk and games

The Christmas Day walk was a big feature in our childhood: a specific route we only ever did on the day. Not too long, not too short, but just right for letting those roast potatoes settle. I’m not sure anyone particularly wanted to walk, but it was an integral tradition of the day and we’d all ramble along together. We’d be back by dusk and then we’d settle into watching Christmas TV together, open more presents and tuck into our stocking chocolate supplies. 

A Christmas film by the fire is a lovely part of the day, or playing games as a group. Often we gift each other games earlier in the day with the view to play them for the first time that afternoon or evening. It’s a great way of christening the game and if it goes down well, you can bring it back out next year. If you haven’t opened everything from under the tree yet, the afternoon and evening can be a particularly cosy time to sit together and continue the fun. Add in some more fizz or a cuppa, and a large slice of Christmas cake to keep you fuelled until an epic leftovers dinner. 

Christmas memory-making 

It’s gone in a flash and yet we place so much emphasis on Christmas. I can remember past Christmases so vividly, thanks to so many special ways we created traditions and made memories. Here are some top tips on how to do this for your Christmas.

• Take the picture. In fact, take lots. Even the silly, blurry ones will bring smiles in years to come. Candlelight makes for lovely, atmospheric shots, but natural light will create the pictures you look back at every year– so make sure you don’t leave it until 6pm to grab those shots. 

• Make time for a group photo. Lunchtime is perfect: a feast of smiling faces, a special table setup and plates filled with delicious food. 

• Write down the special moments and traditions. We used to have a Christmas timetable stuck up on the stairs with a list of everything from Christmas Eve to Boxing Day that us children wanted to do, from reading stories the night before to which film we wanted to watch. 

• Handmade and homemade is fine – in fact, even better. Decorations, paper chains and crackers don’t have to be shop-bought, and the act of making them together can be another special way to start the Christmas traditions.

• Make the only screens you’re indulging in be a TV in the afternoon with a Christmas film on. After you’ve taken some snaps, put the phones away and be present in the moment. 

Until next year… 

Traditions evoke memories – a powerful reminder of all that’s been before us, people who are no longer there, and all the chances we have ahead of us to make new and different ones. In the end, Christmas really is all about these moments and the act of being together, through food, traditions, photos and stories… so that the memories are kept alive for years to come.